Tellebration soars in Danbury

Susan Tuz

Updated 8:23 pm, Sunday, November 24, 2013

Kyle McCollough, 10, uses a fox puppet to tell the story "Henny Penny" as part of Tellebration!, on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn. McCollough is in the 5th grade.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Kyle McCollough, 10, uses a fox puppet to tell the story "Henny...

Melanie Mcgee, of Danbury, video's her son tell the story "Henny Penny" as part of Tellebration!, on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Melanie Mcgee, of Danbury, video's her son tell the story "Henny...

Puppets, created by art teacher Emily Betts and controlled by 5th graders, tell the story "Henny Penny" as part of Tellebration!, on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Puppets, created by art teacher Emily Betts and controlled by 5th...

Maureen Arvidson, of Danbury, tells the story "King Leopard" as part of Tellebration!, on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn. Arvidson is a retired Bethel educator who now consults in classrooms on storytelling.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Maureen Arvidson, of Danbury, tells the story "King Leopard" as...

Maureen Arvidson, of Danbury, tells the story "King Leopard" as part of Tellebration!, on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn. Arvidson is a retired Bethel educator who now consults in classrooms on storytelling.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Maureen Arvidson, of Danbury, tells the story "King Leopard" as...

Maureen Arvidson, of Danbury, tells the story "King Leopard" as part of Tellebration!, on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn. Arvidson is a retired Bethel educator who now consults in classrooms on storytelling.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Maureen Arvidson, of Danbury, tells the story "King Leopard" as...

Maureen Arvidson, of Danbury, tells the story "King Leopard" as part of Tellebration!, on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn. Arvidson is a retired Bethel educator who now consults in classrooms on storytelling.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Maureen Arvidson, of Danbury, tells the story "King Leopard" as...

Josh Calderon, 4th grade, tells the story "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" as part of Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013 at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Josh Calderon, 4th grade, tells the story "The Three Billy Goats...

Josh Calderon, 4th grade, tells the story "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" as part of Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013 at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Josh Calderon, 4th grade, tells the story "The Three Billy Goats...

Aralyn Saquicela, 3rd grade, tells the story "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" as part of Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013 at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Aralyn Saquicela, 3rd grade, tells the story "The Boy Who Cried...

Christopher Decew, of Danbury, watches his son take part in Tellebration!, on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Christopher Decew, of Danbury, watches his son take part in...

Aralyn Cooper, 2nd grade, tells the story "The Gingerbread Man" as part of Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013 at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Aralyn Cooper, 2nd grade, tells the story "The Gingerbread Man" as...

Aralyn Cooper, 2nd grade, tells the story "The Gingerbread Man" as part of Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013 at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Aralyn Cooper, 2nd grade, tells the story "The Gingerbread Man" as...

Aralyn Cooper, 2nd grade, tells the story "The Gingerbread Man" as part of Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013 at the Ellsworth Avenue School in Danbury, Conn.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Aralyn Cooper, 2nd grade, tells the story "The Gingerbread Man" as...

Annabelle Neary, 4, and her mom Marya Neary, from Brookfield, watch Tellebration!, at the Ellsworth Avenue School, in Danbury Conn. Annabelle's dad is a 5th grade teacher at the school.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Diego Fernandez, 5th grade, plays the part of narrator in "Anansi the Spider" for the Ellsworth Avenue School hosting of Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Diego Fernandez, 5th grade, plays the part of narrator in "Anansi...

Skip Jennings, a music teacher at the Ellsworth Avenue School, Danbury Conn, conducts a performance of "Anansi the Spider" during the schools hosting of Danbury's eight annual Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Skip Jennings, a music teacher at the Ellsworth Avenue School,...

Cathy Baker, a library media specialist at the Ellsworth Avenue School, Danbury Conn, video's a performance of Anansi the Spider during the schools hosting of Danbury's eight annual Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Cathy Baker, a library media specialist at the Ellsworth Avenue...

Skip Jennings, a music teacher at the Ellsworth Avenue School, Danbury Conn, explains how the book Earthsong, started Danbury celebrating Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November, on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Skip Jennings, a music teacher at the Ellsworth Avenue School,...

Martha Ligue, of Danbury, waits for her daughter, Jennifer Maza, 10, to perform her part in Tellebration! at the Ellsworth Avenue School, Danbury, Conn, on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

Martha Ligue, of Danbury, waits for her daughter, Jennifer Maza,...

Emilia Ortega, 2, of Danbury, waits for her brother to perform in Tellebration! at the Ellsworth Avenue School, Danbury, Conn, on Saturday, November 23, 2013. This is Danbury's eight annual Tellebration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling held each November.
Photo: H John Voorhees III

The event was the eighth annual Tellebration!, where folk tales were shared and songs were sung.

In previous years, the event was held at Danbury Library, but this year the sounds of voices young and old filled the auditorium at this elementary school.

"Folktales are the basis of our whole literary history," said Bert MacCarry, event coordinator. "Events like this help children learn to visualize when reading stories. If you can visualize a story when you read it, you have it forever."

This month, storytelling enthusiasts share their talents in events held in cities and towns around the world. In Danbury, storytellers Anne Ferber and Maureen Arvidson joined MacCarry and her son, Noel, and grandson, Brian, in telling stories of queens and minstrels, giants and magicians.

Ellsworth second-grader Araly Cooper enchanted the audience with her story of "The Gingerbread Man." Araly jumped, barked, meowed and clapped her hands as she shared the tale of the gingerbread man being tricked by a fox.

Fifth-graders Kaian Chaves and Noah Cassavecchia played Chinese gong, rain stick and bell tree along with other students on African instruments who told the tale of "Anansi and The Giant Glow of Life."

"Today was fun, getting to be in the play and playing instruments," Noah said. "I would like to do our parts again."

Kaian agreed, adding "I knew the story of Henny Penny already, but Anansi was new to me. It's an African story."